Happy National Coffee Day, Charleston. ☕ If you’re like me, coffee plays a major role in your daily life – but did you know that it also played a major role in colonial Carolina business, trade + immigration?
Let’s throw it back to 17th century London – Cornhill, to be specific – home of The Royal Exchange.
The Royal Exchange was established in 1562 as London’s first epicenter for international trade, commerce + stocks. In 1694, the Bank of England was built nearby, and Cornhill established a reputation as a major center for business.
People came from all over the world to discuss banking, stocks + business, and what better way to do so than over a hot cup of joe?
As official office spaces had not yet been established, investors + businessmen interested in utilizing England’s growing trade networks began seeking out coffee shops to meet with partners and clients.
Over time, coffee houses were seen as niches for like-minded people – of all interests + industries – to meet up and converse. This led to the creation of coffee shops that catered to specific interests, which is where the Carolina Coffee House comes into play.
Established in the mid-1600s on Birchin Lane, the Carolina Coffee House was a colonial center intended for English investors, businessmen, families + travelers to network and discuss the Carolina colonies. The shop specialized in trade + communications with the Carolinas, and served as a direct connection to local cities like Charleston.
In 1682, author Samuel Wilson published “An Account of the Providence of Carolina in America,” in which he wrote, “Some of the Lords Proprietors, or myself, will be every Tuesday at eleven of the clock at the Carolina Coffee House in Burching Lane near the Royal Exchange to inform all people what ships are going, or any other thing whatsoever.”
In 1711, London native Edward Crisp – who deemed himself a “coffeeman” at Carolina Coffee House where he sought legal help from Carolina merchants Thomas Pinckney and Christopher Smith – published “A Complete Description of the Province of Carolina in 3 Parts,” a map that outlined the South Carolina coastline and, you guessed it, Charleston.
Rev. Gideon Johnston wrote a letter in 1714 to acquaintances in London informing them that St. Philip’s Church in Charleston had been damaged by a hurricane. The letter also noted that he learned this information while at the Carolina Coffee House, for he happened to be in London when the storm hit. Similarly, letters written by South Carolina natives Henry Laurens + Peter Manigault referenced the coffee shop.
While the coffee house served as a place for discussion, it was also a venue in which hopeful emigrants could learn more about the colonies, as its proximity to the Royal Exchange resulted in it becoming a prime venue for promoting settlement + investment in American plantations. Documented by letters and newspapers – including the South Carolina Gazette – various Englishmen + travelers who spent time at the Carolina Coffee House eventually immigrated to the Palmetto State.
The small but widely impactful coffee shop was eventually destroyed by a fire in 1748, and though it was rebuilt, it permanently closed sometime before the Civil War.
If you want to learn more, tune in to Charleston County Public Library’s Charleston Time Machine podcast.